The Wolf Is Present

Wolves had become almost extinct in Germany in the past 200 years. Now again these animals roam the forests, meadows and villages, and come up to the edge of the cities. They rarely show up though, and none have been aggressive towards humans since their return. People fear the wolf nevertheless. Why?

The animals serve as identification and demarcation: here are those who cheer their return, here are the others, who perceive them as a threat. Parents who are unwilling to let their children play alone in the forest. Owners who don’t want to see their animals be killed or maimed by a wolf.

My pictures show places where wolves have been detected.

A wolf lives here

A wolf ate here

A wolf died here

A wolf was shot here

In these places man and wolf have to live together again. Whose territory is it? Who can live here undisturbed and run around, who should stay away – and who decides this?

In my photographs you don't see any traces of wolves. The pictures touch on themes of social change such as globalization, rural exodus or a turn around in energy: changes that frighten people but are perhaps more difficult to grasp than the wolf itself.

Beside my pictures I show newspaper and magazine pages, in which articles about the wolf appeared. I have deleted all words except the headline of the article and words in which the wolf appears.

I would like to point out the discrepancy between media presentation and the actual visibility of the topic.